AUSTRALIA: Florence Croft, 106, spent a lifetime caring for others

. CANBERRA, Australia / The Canberra Times / January 19, 2009 By Sally Pryor Canberra has lost one of its oldest residents with the death of Florence Croft, at the age of 106.A former child nurse who spent her life volunteering and caring for others, Miss Croft had lived in Canberra since 1975. She was born in Jarrow, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, in 1902, one of four children, all of whom she outlived, and worked as a nurse for most of her life. One of her former charges, Elizabeth Smith, said nannying filled a void for Miss Croft, who never married after her fiance was killed in World WarI. She said that, during her career, Miss Croft worked for three families, the last being her own, the Bennetts, and lived with them in London, Zimbabwe and finally Sydney in 1960. Mrs Smith said Miss Croft had looked after her since she was six weeks old, and retired from nannying in 1970. But she stayed close to the family and moved to Canberra to be closer to Mrs Smith, often babysitting her children. She was a member of the Red Cross and the Belconnen Day VIEW Club, and volunteered for the Koomari school, working with disabled children. Mrs Smith said Miss Croft cared for herself in her own home until she was 95, and lived in a retirement village until she turned 100. Copyright © 2008. Fairfax Media.